Which to choose vmware, citrix or microsoft ts?

[johno]

Fellow Techs,

 

In terms of easy set up, and manageability, speedy delivery in graphics and sound and greaty licensing cost issues

which virtualisation software would you choose to sit on your virtual machine and clients.

 

Secondly, would it be a good choice to go for clients with an embedded OS like Linux or Windows or non at all and what is the best choice in terms of weighing the pros and cons of licensing and ease of set up/deployment and manageability.

[SYNACK]

Are you after terminal services or virtual instances of machines.

 

For basic TS Windows 2008 R2 is actually quite good and only getting better with regard to video/sound/efficiency.

 

Citrix is a layer ontop of Microsoft RDP so is about 0.5 generations ahead of the MS offering but much more expencive.

 

If you are after VDI then this is something slightly different, here you use virtualisation to make a pool of client machines running an OS like Windows 7 which can be used over RDP/other protocol from the thin clients.

 

The thinclients are somewhat based on what core solution you choose but the forum here seems to quite like the Axel solution.

 

The less hardware required in your thinclients the less there is to go wrong, and use power which is a good thing in general.

[SYNACK]

I'll also suggest some additional reading on the topic Q. What's the difference between Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Terminal Services?

[localzuk]

Also, something to take into account - if you are after a terminal services style system then pay attention to the version of the RDP protocol the client software can work with.

 

Linux based clients currently only support RDP5, which is fine for most things but if you want to make use of any of the newfangled graphics stuff etc... then you need use of RDP6 or RDP7, which currently limits you to Windows based clients (but not the old 'CE' age ones, only XP embedded and above, as the client on CE is again limited to RDP5).

[dhicks]

(but not the old 'CE' age ones, only XP embedded and above, as the client on CE is again limited to RDP5).

 

Although Windows XP itself will support RDP 7.1 (but we're not sure about 7.2, if I remember correctly from a thread a few weeks ago). Windows XP will run on what is, these days, a pretty minimal specification machine, and if you're aiming for cheap-as-possible thin clients you can always get £30-a-time Windows XP Home machines off eBay. I found in testing that the Linux RDP client could manage video quite okay, it just needed to be running on more recent hardware (i.e. something with a decent graphics capability - those £200 Acer Revos work fine) and be connecting to Windows Server 2008 R2. You will need RDP 7 for USB device redirection, though.

 

--

David Hicks

[localzuk]

Although Windows XP itself will support RDP 7.1 (but we're not sure about 7.2, if I remember correctly from a thread a few weeks ago). Windows XP will run on what is, these days, a pretty minimal specification machine, and if you're aiming for cheap-as-possible thin clients you can always get £30-a-time Windows XP Home machines off eBay. I found in testing that the Linux RDP client could manage video quite okay, it just needed to be running on more recent hardware (i.e. something with a decent graphics capability - those £200 Acer Revos work fine) and be connecting to Windows Server 2008 R2. You will need RDP 7 for USB device redirection, though.

 

This is fine if you're happy paying for windows licenses. If, for example, you're using a Schools Agreement, you could end up having to pay for extra licenses simply because your 'thin client' machines can run XP. Our HP thin clients running Linux can't run windows, so we don't have to license them under the Windows Desktop part of the Schools Agreement.

[johno]

Are you after terminal services or virtual instances of machines.

 

For basic TS Windows 2008 R2 is actually quite good and only getting better with regard to video/sound/efficiency.

 

Citrix is a layer ontop of Microsoft RDP so is about 0.5 generations ahead of the MS offering but much more expencive.

 

If you are after VDI then this is something slightly different, here you use virtualisation to make a pool of client machines running an OS like Windows 7 which can be used over RDP/other protocol from the thin clients.

 

The thinclients are somewhat based on what core solution you choose but the forum here seems to quite like the Axel solution.

 

The less hardware required in your thinclients the less there is to go wrong, and use power which is a good thing in general.

 

i have 25 sers only on my network would it be better to go for terminal service with MS 2008 server or even necessary to go the vdi route?

 

when is it appropriate to go for the vdi route and when is it appropriate to go basic terminal service. Number of users/ applications?